Shuttle-box-operating mechanism for looms.



Patented Aug. 27, IQDI.

H. BARDSLEY.

SHUTTLE BOX OPERATING MECHANISM FOR LUDMS.

(Applicatiun filed Apr. 15, 1901.)

4 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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N0. 681,648. Patentd Aug. 27, |901. H. BARDSLEY.

SHUTTLE BOX OPERATING MECHANISM FOR LDOMS.

(Application filed Apr. 15, 1901.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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" Nu. 681,648. Patented Aug. 27, |901.

H. BAnnsLEv.

SHUTTLE BOX OPERATING MECHANISM FOR LDOMS.

(Application led Apr. 15, 1901,)

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

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PatentedA Aug. 27, I90I.

H. BABDSLEY.

SHUTTLE BOX DPERATING MEGHANISM FR LOOMS.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4f.

(Application led Apr. 16, 1901.)

(N0 Model.)

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Unimet) 'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY BARDSLEY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

SHUTTLE-BOX-OPERATING MECHANISIVI FOR LOOMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent NO. 681,648, dated August27, 1901.

Application iiled Apr-il 1.5, 1901. Serial No. 55,800. (No model.)

T0 'cl/H whom mi may concern:

Beitknown that I, HENRY BARDSLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Providence, in the county of Providence, State of RhodeIsland, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inShuttle-Box-Operating Mechanisms for Looms, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention has relation more especially to shuttle-boX-operatingmechanism of that class in which an intermittingly-operated driver ormaster gear or Wheel partially rotated step by step is employed for thepurpose of actuating under the control of pattern devices the train ortrains of operating and transmitting connections through which thebox-lever is moved to shift the shuttleboxes and in which a train suchas has just been referred to comprises apartially toothed or mutilatedpinion which at times is engaged and given a semirevolution by the saiddriver or master gear or wheel, a crank or eccentric rotating in unisonwith said pinion, and operative connections from said crank or eccentricto the box-lever.

At the customary high rate of speed at which looms are run considerableshock and strain result when the master gear or Wheel after each partialmovement thereof is brought suddenly to a state of rest. One object ofthe invention is to reduce this shock and strain. One part of myinvention consists, accordingly, in a construction and combination ofgear-segments for operating the master-wheel by means of which themaster gear or wheel is started at its maximum rate of speed and isgradually decreased in speed to the end of its partial movement.

In my prior United States Letters Patent, No. 626,960, granted June 1S,1899, I have presented an improved form of shuttle-box motions oroperating mechanism in which each partially toothed or mutilated pinionis furnished with a diametrical lever mounted to turn in unison with thesaid pinion and to swing in the direction of the axis of the pinion, theposition of the diametrical lever being determined by pattern devices,whereby the engagement of the respective ends of the said lever with thestarting-teetl1 of the master-gear is controlled. In the said patent thelocking of the pinion to prevent overrunning thereof or accidentaluntimely movement of rotation is effected by means of a spring-actuatedlocking-leverheld pressed byits spring against the periphery of a collarcarried by the pinion, the said collar having opposite locking-notcheswhich are entered by the said lever on the completion of thelsemirevolutions of the pinion.

One object of my present invention is to provide in improved manner forlocking the pinion whereby the friction and resistance to the rotationof the pinion, tendency to wear,l

failure to act, and lack of positiveness of the locking action areobviated, a positive and certain locking action being secured.

Another object of the invention is to provide in improved manner forthrowing the shuttle-box-operating mechanism out of driving connectionwith the rotating shafts of the loorn -instantly upon the action of theweftdetector mechanism of the loom.

In the operation of shifting shuttle-boxes containing more than fourcells difficulty is experienced on account of the failure of the bottomsof certain cells of the series to line up horizontally with theshuttle-race of the lay. This difficulty is not experienced to anyinconvenient extent up to, say, the fourth cell of a series, but whenlifting the shuttle-boxes to bring, say, the iifth or the sixth cell ofthe series into position the want of alinement is noticeable andobjectionable. One object of my invention is to obviate this drawback byproviding means for making compensation therefor.

The invention consists in various improvements by means of which theforegoing objects are attained and which will now be described withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which latter I have shown aconvenient embodiment of the various features of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure l shows in side elevation a portion of one sideframe of a loom having the said embodiment of the invention appliedthereto. Fig. 2 shows in rear elevation the parts which are representedin Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view showing chietiya plan of the compoundbox-lever. Figs. 4t, 5, and 6 show from different points of view one ofthe partially toothed or mutilated pinions and its ad- IOO juncts. Fig.7 is a sectional view of Vone of said pinions. Fig. S is a detail viewof the stop-motion connections on a reduced scale. Fig. 9 shows in rearelevation certain portions of the driving and stop-motion arrangements.Fig. 10 is a detail View of certain of the rotating parts looking fromthe left in Fig. 9.

Having reference to the drawings, 1 designates a portion of the frame ofa loom.

2 is one of the rotating shafts of a loom. This shaft in the presentembodiment of the invention has fixed thereon the driver, forming onemember of the gearing-train by which the master-gear is rotatedintermittingly part of a revolution. The said driver comprises,essentially, a gear-segment 3. The member of said gearing-train withwhich driver 3 engages comprises, essentially, a gear 4, which in thepresent embodiment of the invention is coaxial with the master gear orWheel 5, the driven gear 4 and master gear or wheel being connected witheach other to rotate in unison. Driven gear 4 is provided with a numberof gear-segments intended to be engaged successively by thedriver-segment 3 and has gaps or spaces intermediate said segments atwhich the driver-segment 3 runs out Yof mesh with one of the saidgear-segments after having communicated a movement of the requiredextent to the driven gear 4 and master-gear 5. Driver 3 is furnishedwith a locking-flange or rest 3a at one side of its hub 3b, extendingaround that portion of the circumference of the said hub which is notoccupied by the teeth of the segment, and the driven segmental gear4 isfurnished at each A gap or space between two of its segments with a pairof projections 4a 4a to cooperate with the said locking-fiange or restin holding the segmental gear4 and master-gear from overrunning and fromaccidental movement after the driver-segment 3 has run out of mesh withone 'ot the segments of the said driven gear 4 and while the latter andthe master-gear should stand at rest. Driver-segment 3 also has thestarting-teeth 3z 3c at the opposite ends of the same for engagement incustomary fashion with the starting-teeth 4b 4b, dsc., of the segmentalgear 4. For the purpose of transmitting to the master gear or wheel 5 aspeed graduallydecreasing from start to tinish the pitch-line of thegear-segment 3 is lcurved inward toward the axis of rotation of thedrivel' 3 from the rst tooth of said driver to the last, while eachsegment 4c of the driven segmental gear 4 has the pitchline thereofreversely curved-that is, out- Wardly from the axis of rotation of thesaid segmental gear. For the purposes of this case the idea of therelation of the pitchlines of the segments to the respective axes ofrotation may be expressed by saying that the gear-segments of the driverand driven wheel are eccentrically disposed for the purpose oftransmitting motion at a progressively-decreasing rate of speed to themaster gear or wheel at each advance of the latter.

The master-'gear 5 is provided, as usual, with a number of toothedsegments 5a 5 for the actuation of the partially toothed or mutilatedpinions, with starting-teeth 5b 5b, dac., at the ends of such segmentsfor engagement with the diametrical levers ot' the said pinions and withintermediate plain surfaces or rests 5c 5C for holding the said pinionsfrom rotation between times. The said pinions are indicated at 6 6 6.Each of said pinions has connected therewith a crank, as 6, which isconnected by means of a link or connecting-rod, as 6b, with thebox-lever. The number of pinions employed and the character andarrangement of the box-lever will vary according to the number of cellscontained in the series ot shuttle-boxes. The said cells may vary innumber in different cases in practice, as required. The presentembodiment of the invention has been designed for operating a series ofshuttle-boxes containing six cells. Accordingly there are three pinions,and the box-lever is a compound lever comprising two simple levers. Whatfor the purposes of this case may be termed the main lever 7 of thecompound box-lever has pivoted to its forward arm the link 8, extendingupward and connected pivotally with the box-rod 8, The said main lever 7is pivoted upon the forward extremity of the secondary lever 7a. Thelatter has connected therewith two of the connecting-rods 6b 6b, one atthe rear extremity thereof and one at an intermediate point, while themain lever 7 has one connecting-rod 6b, connected therewith at its rearextremity. The action of the cranks in operating the compound box-leveris well understood by those skilled in the art. For the purpose ofsteadying the compound box-lever in ,the movements thereof the rearextremity of the main lever 7 has pivoted thereto the rear extremity ofthe radius-arm 9, the forward extremity of which is connected pivotallywith the loom-frame, as at 9, Fig. 3.

The diametrical lever with which in the present embodiment of theinvention each pinion is provided (see more especially Figs. 4, 5, 6,and 7) is designated 10. The actuating-spindle of said -lever is shownat lOa and the lingers thereon for engaging with the 1ever at 10 10,while the spring which acts on said rod to move it cndwise in onedirection is designated 101. n

l1 1l l1b designate levers or fingers forming part of patternconnections whereby to determine the engagement of the respectivediametrical levers with the starting-teeth on the master gear or wheel.These levers or iin gers are connected with and operated from thedevices which are employed in connection with the pattern-chain or otherpattern-surface. These levers or lingers are herein for convenienceshown arranged and operated as follows: The finger 11 is fast onrock-shaft 12, the latter having an arm 12a. Finger or lever 11a isloose on rock-shaft 12. Finger IOO IIO

11b is tast o'n rock-shaft 12b, the latter having an arm 12C. Arms 12a12'and finger or lever l1a are joined by connections 13 13 13 with thepattern devices aforesaid, which last are of any preferred or knowncharacter and are not necessary to be shown. Pattern fingers or leversIl 11 1lb when operated through the agency of the pattern devices act tomove spindles l()n and diametrical or starting lever l0 in one directionin opposition to the action of the springs 10, while the reverseInovements of the spindles and levers are occasioned by the said springswhen the pattern devices permit these last to act. lVhile the pinionsare at rest, the diametrical or starting levers stand radially withreference to the master gear or wheel, but with the inwardlyturned armsor teeth thereof swung laterally out of the plane of rotation of thestartingteeth on the said master gear or wheel, so as to be out of therange of action of the said starting-teeth. When, however, the patterndevices operate to cause the lever of a given pinion to be swung so asto carry its inwardlyextending arm laterally into the plane in which thestarting-teeth of the master gear or wheel rotate, a rotary movement ofthe said pinion is occasioned. At the end of a semirevolution of thepinion the latter is left at rest. For the purpose of locking positivelythe pinion in its new position as well as preventing overrunning of thepinion I place a flange 14 adjacent each pinion in position to projectacross the plane of rotation of one of the arms of thelaterally-swinging diametrical or starting lever. This flange preferablyis curved concentrically with the pinion Vand preferably also, thoughnot invariably, is located adjacent the outer portion of the pinion inposition to coact with the arm last engaged by a starting-tooth of themaster gear or wheel. Its end portions 14 14 are beveled off tofacilitate movement of the diametrical lever onto such end portions. Thesaid flange is furnished with a notch 14h, into which the coacting armof the lever passes at the completion of the semirevolution of thepinion. The diametrical lever remains in the notch 14b until the patterndevices operate` to press the arm thereof which now extends inwardlylaterally into the plane of rotation of the starting-teeth of the mastergear or wheel. The lateral movement of the said lever thus occasionedthrough the operation of the pattern devices withdraws the lever fromthe notch 14b of the stop-flange prior to the engagement of theinwardly-extending arm of the lever by one of the starting-teeth of themaster gear or wheel.

For the purpose of rendering the shuttlc-box operating mechanisminoperative through the action of the weft-indicator mechanism I combinethe said weft-indicator mechanism with the starting-teeth of one of theAtive position. This makes a break in the said driving-train and leavesthe master gear or wheel at rest until the withdrawn starting-teeth arereinstated in working relations again. I have herein shown thestarting-teeth 4b 4b of the segmental driven gear 4 arranged to bewithdrawn and reinstated as aforesaid, and in this particular embodimentof the invention I have arranged the said teeth 4l 4" to be shiftedlaterally out of the plane of rotation of the starting-teeth 303 of thedriversegment 3 and back again into the said plane. The saidstarting-teeth 4b 4b of the gear 4 are in this instance carried by adisk 4d at one side of the gear 4, the said disk being provided withopposite pins 4e 4, working within holes formed through the body of gear4'parallel with the axis of rotation of the gear and disk. Thereby thedisk and gear are caused to rotate in unison with capacity for relativemovement transversely. The master-gear 5 and segmental gear 4 are fastupon opposite ends of asleeve 4f, into theinterior of which last eX-tends the headed bolt 4g, having the threaded end thereof screwed intothe centerof the disk 41. A spiral spring 4h, surrounding the stem ofthe bolt and compressed between the head of said bolt and a shoulderwhich is provided at the inner end of the chamber of the said sleeve,acts to hold the disk 4d in normal working position. The hub of disk 4dhas a groove, in which is engaged the fork of a shifter 4i, mounted onrock-shaft4l, the latter having an arm 4m connected by a link 4, Fig. 8,with an arm 40 on a rock-shaft 4, the latter having an arm 4s projectinginto the path of the weft-fork slide 4l. Whenthe said slide is movedforward in the loom in consequence of engagement of the gooseneck 4pwith the weft-fork 41, as in the event of absence of the weft-threadfrom in front of the weft-fork at the time of the beat-up of the lay,the shifter 4 will be operated to withdraw the starting-teeth 4b 41 intoinoperative position.

Vhen employing a shifting shuttle-box mechanism having cells for morethan four shuttles-am for example, in a six-cell-box motion-the bottomsof the upper four cells may without great difficulty be caused to alinethemselves satisfactorily with the shuttlc-race of the lay. With thefifth and sixth cells, however, the lack of horizontal alinement is suffciently great to be noticeable and undesirable. The reason for this isthe fact that as the shuttle-boxes rise to their highest positions theupward and rearward curvilinear movement of the forward extremityof themain shuttle-box lever 7 straightens out the angle between said leverand the link 8 to a sufficient extent to give a noticeable excess ofupward movement to the series of shuttlc-boxes. With the objectin viewof renderin g all of the vertical step-by-step movements of theshuttle-boxes equal in extent instead IOO IIO

of slightly greater progressively in propori tion as the boxes rise Iemploy compensating means which I will 'now proceed to describe. (SeeFigs. 1 and 3.) The forward extremity of the secondary lever 7a has atransverse eye 7b, in which is received the pin 7. The eye 7 d of themain lever 7 receives a sleeve 7e, having an eccentrically-disposedbore, which receives a portion ofthe length of the pin 7c, the pin andsleeve being locked together to turn in unison, as by means of a key 7f.To one end of sleeve 7e is made fast the lever 7 g, the latter having anarm 71, which is connected by means of a contracting spiral spring 7iwith .a rear portion of main lever 7, whereby a stop 7k, forming part ofsaid lever 7 g, is held in contact with a portion of said main lever. Itwill be perceived that the pin 7 C and sleeve 7e (which may be formed inone piece, if required) constitute an eccentric connection between themain lever 7 and secondary lever 7 a. At 7m is shown a fixed stop, whichis located in position to be encountered by the forwardly projecting armot' the lever 7 When the said arm encounters the said stop during therise of the forward portion of the compound shuttle-box lever, the armis held back through a portion of the said rise, with the result that aslight movement of main lever 7 relative to secondary lever 7a occurssufficient in extent to odset the gain due to the cause alreadyexplained. For the purpose of enabling the stop 7m to be adjusted intoproper position it is applied to a stand 7 n, the latter having ahorizontal slot 7, through which passes a bolt 7p, by which the saidstand is attached to the loom side. The said slot enables the stand andstop to be adjusted in the direction of the length of the lever 7 E.Vertical adjustment of the stop is provided for by means of a set-screw71', passing upward through a lug of the stand 7m and taking bearingagainst the under side of a flange 7 s of the loom side, the saidset-screw being furnished with a check-nut 7 t.

What I claim is- 1. In a loom, in combination, the master gear or wheel,shuttle-box-operating mechanism operated therefrom, and means for movingsaid master gear or wheel intermittingly with decreasing speed fromstart to finish of each movement, substantially as described.

2. In a loom, in combination, the master gear or wheel,shuttle-box-operating mechanism operated therefrom, a segmental drivengear connected operatively with the said master gear or wheel, and arotating driver-segment,with the gear-segments of the dri ver and drivengear eccentrically disposed to transmit motion at aprogressively-decreasing rate of speed to the master gear or wheel ateach advance of the latter, substantially as described.

3. In combination, themaster gear or wheel, the partially toothed ormutilated pinion, its diametrical lever, pattern devices controllingsaid lever, and the flange adjacent u said pinion having the notch whichreceives the vsaid lever to lock the pinion, substan tially asdescribed.

4t. ln combination, the master gear or Wheel, the partially toothed ormutilated pinion, its diametrical lever, the spring and pattern devicesacting in connection with the said lever, and the flange adjacent saidpinion having the notch which receives the said lever to lock thepinion, substantially as described.

5. In a shuttle-boX-operating mechanism for looms, in combination, themaster gear or wheel, a driving-train operating said gear or Wheelintermittingly and including a segmental wheel having starting-teeth,and stopmotion devices having operative connection with saidstarting-teeth -to withdraw the latter from their operative positionwhen said devices act, substantially as described.

6. In a shuttle-box-operating mechanism for looms, in combination, themaster gear or wheel, a driving-train operating said gear or wheelintermittingly and including a segmental wheel having starting-teethwhich are movable laterally from their operative position intoinoperative position,and stop-motion devices having operative connectionwith said starting-teeth to shift the latter into inoperative positionwhen said devices act, substantially as described.

7. In a shuttle-boX-operating mechanism for looms, in combination, themaster gear or wheel, a segmental gear in operative connection therewithand having a laterally-movable series of starting-teeth, adriver-segment acting in connection with said segmental gear, andstop-motion devices having operative connection with said starting-teethto withdraw the latter into inoperative position when said devices act,substantially as described.

8. In a shuttle-box-operating mechanism for looms, in combination, themaster gear or wheel, a segmental gear in operative connection therewithand having a laterally-movable disk carrying a series of starting-teeth,a spring to hold said disk with the said teeth in operative position, adriver-segment acting in connection with said segmental gear andstop-motion devices having operative connection with said disk toWithdraw the latter and its teeth laterally to place said teeth ininoperative position, substantially as described.

9. In a shuttle-boX-operating mechanism for looms, in combination, themaster gear or Wheel, an intermittent gear -driving train therefor,stop-motion devices,and means connected with said devices whereby thelatter act to disestablish Working relations between anintermittingly-rotated driven member of said train and the drivingmember therefor.

lO. In a shuttle-box-operating mechanism for looms, in combination, thebox-lever, box connections therefor, operating means for said box-lever,and a compensating device .to equalize the various shifts of the seriesof shuttle-boxes, substantially as described.

IOO

IIO

IZO

ll. In a shuttle-box-operating mechanism for looms, in combination, thebox-lever, box

' connections therefor, operating means for said box-lever, and acompensating device coacting with said box-lever to equalize the shiftsof the series of shuttle-boxes, substan tially as described.

12. -In a shuttle-box-operating mechanism for looms, in combination, thecompound boxlever, box connections therefor, operating means for saidbox-lever, and a compensating device interposed between the simplelevers forming said compound box-lever, to equalize the shifts of theseries of shuttleboxes, substantially as described.

13. In a shuttle-box-operating mechanism for looms, in combination, thebox-lever, box.

ber during the shifting of the shuttle-boxes to equalize the variousshifts of the series, substantially as described.

l5. In a shuttle-box-operating mechanism for looms, in combination, thecompound boxlever, box connections therefor, operating means for saidbox-lever, and a compensating device having an eccentric memberinterposed between the simple levers constituting the compoundbox-lever, and a coacting member applied to a relatively-fixed support,to act during the shifting of the shuttle-boxes to equalize the variousshifts of the series, substantially as described.

16. In a shnttle-box-operating mechanism for looms, in combination, thecompound boxlever, box connections therefor, operating means for saidbox-lever, and the compensating device having the eccentric memberinterposed between the simple levers constituting the compoundbox-lever, and the fixed stop, whereby the various shifts of the seriesof shuttle-boxes are equalized, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY BARDSLEY.

Vitnesses:

CHAs. F. RANDALL, WILLIAM A. COPELAND.

